Don't Text and Drive

W82TXT - Wait to Text

Your Tax Collector and LKQ of North Florida have joined in a community project to bring awareness to the life-threatening practice of "texting" while driving, particularly with the youth of Columbia County.

Daily we hear about accidents and even fatalities where drivers are texting while driving. This local community effort will hopefully discourage this very dangerous practice.

W82TXT will be emboseed on a "thumb ring" and when worn on the thumb of a driver will remind them to "Wait to text" until a safer time to send their message.

The target group for this program will be students at Columbia and Fort White High Schools. Thumb rings, in school colors, will be distributted in each of our office locations

Those students who receive their Class E driver license will be offered a pledge card to sign whereby they will pledge that he or she will not text while driving, will wear their seat belts and encourage friends and family to always do the same. Students who already have their Class E license are also welcome to come to the Tax Collector's office, sign the pledge and receive their thumb ring.

Text Free Driving Pledge

Text Free Driving Pledges are available at all of your Tax Collector's Office locations. By signing the Text Free Driving Pledge, you pledge not to text and drive because:

It makes me 23 times more likely to crash

It's like driving after having 4 beers

It's like taking my eyes off the road for an average of 5 seconds. At 55 mph, it is like driving the length of the football field - completely blind

Car crashes kill and average of 11 teens - Every Day

Distracted driving injures 330,000 people every year

Texting and driving is dangerous and life threatening to me, others in my car and everyone else on the road

Texting and driving ends and ruins lives everyday and I will not contribute to the growing epidemic

Drive Safely Apps

Below are some apps for your smart phone that will help you avoid the distraction of text messages while you are driving. The Tax Collector's Office does not endorse any of the apps. This list was compiled from publicly available websites. Data rates may apply.